Enclosed multipole relay



g R. VRADENBURGH ENCLOSED MULTIPOLE RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April7, 1961 INVENTOR.

rray/wry 4 045 477 [Imam/0019s I IMF u 18, 1954 R. VRADENBURGH ENCLOSEDMULTIPOLE RELAY Filed April 7, 19 61 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pcseqr kpqoavau sy,qrrapms'r w. E l 1 United States Patent 3,145,279 ENCLOSED MULTIPOLERELAY Robert Vradenburgh, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to Ward LeonardElectric Co., Mount Vernon, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr.7, 1961, Ser. No. 101,483 3 Claims. (Cl. 290104) This invention relatesto enclosed electrical relays and particularly to the assembly and formof the components.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplifiedenclosed relay.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved enclosed relaythat minimizes the number of components and the number of manipulativesteps to assemble.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the plug-in type relay with theenclosing cover illustrated in section;

FIG. 2 is a side view of plug-in type relay with enclosing cover insection;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the base portiontaken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates the relationship of the armature and contacts onenergization of the relay;

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of the pin type enclosed relay with thecover illustrated in section;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the front connected type enclosed relay;and

FIG. 8 is a side view of the base of the front connected type relay.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plug-in type enclosed relay is illustrated. Thisrelay comprises a base 19 with a supporting flange 11 and an enclosingcover 12 mounted on the flange. The base 18 comprises a disc shapedmolded plastic member 13 with electrically conductive hollow prongs 14molded therein.

In this embodiment the base is provided with eight prongscircumferentially arranged in an evenly spaced relation. A tongue 15with a key 16 is provided at the center of the base for properlypositioning the base and guiding the insertion of the prongs into theappropriate terminals of a socket. The supporting pins 31, 33, 34, 35,36 and 38 are solid, cylindrical metal pieces and are easily inserted inthe prongs 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 28 and firmly fastened thereto by anyconventional means. The pins extend above the disc member 13 to provideelectrically conductive means in the enclosed chamber 19 formed by thebase and cover. The pins extend a sulficient distance to provide amplespace for engagement and fastening of electrical elements. Theelectromagnet with the armature is mounted on the cover. The contactsare mounted on the base which is separable from the cover.

The resilient contact mounting members 29 and 30 are securely fastenedto the pins 31 and 38 and have contact buttons 39, 40 and 41, 42 forengaging the pins 33, 34 and 35, 36 respectively. The contact mountingmeans 29 and 30 are resiliently biased to normally engage the pins 34and 35.

In this embodiment the contact mounting members 29 and 30 are elongatedthin resiliently stifi metal pieces having straight portions 29a and 30afastened to the pins 31 and 38 and straight portions 29b and 30b onwhich the contact buttons are mounted. The straight portions areconnected by sloped portions 290 and 300 to form edges 46 and 47. Awedge-shaped member 44 is provided to engage the edges 46 and 47 whichon movement in direction indicated by the arrow A forces the contactbuttons against the pins 33 and 36 and on movement in direction of thearrow B releases the pressure to permit the buttons to normally engagethe pins 34, 35.

3,145,279 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 The electromagnet 50 is fastenedtocover 12 by means of a bolt 51 passing through the cover and threadinginto the core 52 of the electromagnet. The L-shaped frame 53 is alsomounted with the electromagnet on the cover 12 engaging the core 52 andpivotally supporting the armature 54 to engage the opposite end of thecore 52 to complete the flux path. The L-shaped frame has spacedprojections 55 fitting notches 56 on the edges of the armature 54. Ontop of the L-shaped frame is a spring support 57 having a forked member58 between which the prong 59 of the armature extends. The helicalspring 60 is attached to the prong 59 and to the spring support 57 topivot the armature 54 away from the core 52 on deenergization of thewinding.

The armature 54 is of ferromagnetic material and completes the outsideflux path for the relay. An insulating or insulated actuating member 61is attached by the bolt 62 to the armature and extends toward the base10 between the resilient contact members 29 and 30. The actuating member61 supports the wedge-shaped member 44 to engage the edges 46 and 47 onthe resilient contact members 29 and 30. The electromagnet with thewedgeshaped member 44 is separable from the base and contact members byunfastening the cover 12 and for complete separation the leads 64 and 65are unsoldered.

The winding of the electromagnet is supplied with current through theprongs 22 and 27. Pins 32 and 37 fit in the prongs 22 and 27 and areattached adjacent to the electromagnet by mean-s of the flexible cables64, 65. The flexible cables 64 and 65 are spaced from the pins and theresilient contact members so as not to engage the other conductivemembers of the relay.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 the plug-in base is replaced by a base having terminalsaccessible on the same side of the base as the electromagnet. In thisembodiment the electromagnet is also supported by the casing in asimilar manner to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2. The pins 31a to38a are rigidly fastened to the terminal members 71-78. The terminalmembers have an L shape fitting in grooves 79. The cover is mounted onthe base and fastened thereto by suitable means. The grooves 79 extendexteriorly to the cover 80 to locate the terminal portions 71-78 outsidethe cover readily accessible for fastening leads to the relay. The relayis mounted to a panel or chassis or the like by means of bolts throughthe holes 82 at the corners of the base. The pins 31a through 38a aresimilar to pins 31 to 38 and support the resilient members 29a, 30a andpass current therewith.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a new improvedenclosed relay has been developed. The attachment of the contacts to theprongs in the base has been greatly simplified by inserting solidcylindrical pins into the base and using the projecting portion as themeans for mounting the resilient contacts and as electrical fixedcontacts. Thus by inserting and fastening the pins in the prongs acompleted contact is provided. The use of the pins also eliminates thedifiicult insertion of flexible stranded leads into the hollow prongs.Thus not only is the entire structure of the fixed contact simplifiedbut the fastening of the fixed contacts and other leads to the prongs isalso greatly simplified.

The separation of the resilient contact members from the electromagnetprovides for an accurate positioning of the movable contact members inrelation to the fixed contacts. The same supporting element is used tosupport both the fixed contacts and the movable contacts.

Further, the separation of the movable contact members from theelectromagnet structure eliminates the requirement for flexibleconductive leads and thus eliminates all the .manufacturing steps forconnecting the contacts araaare to the prongs. This separation alsopermits the mounting of the electromagnet on the cover so that theelectromagnet may be mounted on the cover separate from the mounting ofthe movable contacts. Any variations in positioning of the electromagnetin relation to the movable contacts may be compensated for by the sizeof the Wedge-shaped member.

Another unexpected advantage of the foregoing structure is that the camaction of the wedge-shaped member against the sloped sides and edges ofthe resilient contact members produces a wiping or self-cleaning actionbetween the eontact buttons and the fixed contact pins. Another featureof the wedge or cam action between the wedge-shaped member and theresilient contacts is the reduced force required to hold the contacts inthe closed position on energization of the electromagnet. The contactmembers are flexed in opposition and therefore produce only a relativelysmall component of force to the moving magnetic armature in a directionthat would tend to unseat it. This reduction of the unseating forceminimizes the AC. hum. Thus in addition to providing for a simplifiedenclosed relay that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, the relayhas operative advantages not heretofore realized in previous relays. Thekey 16 is illustrated in relation to the pins to lit in sockets adaptedfor relays of this type. However, the key may be positioned at otherlocations to lit in other types of sockets.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the various componentswithout departing from the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. An enclosed electromagnetic relay comprising a base having at leasttwo pairs of conductive pins extending from said base, two thinresilient metal contact members extending generally parallel to oneanother in spaced relation and secured at one end to a respective pin ofone pair and extending to flex in and out of engagement with arespective pin of the other pair, an electromagnet having an armaturehaving a free end positioned between said contact members and having theother end pivotally attached to the electromagnet to move said first endparallel to said contact members on actuation of the armature, saidcontact members having facing sloped surfaces and said armature having awedge-shaped piece on the end of the armature between said contactmembers and engaging said surfaces to actuate said contact members inopposite directions to vary the relationship of the engagement of saidcontact members and the respective conductive pins.

2. An enclosed electromagnetic relay as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid base has an inner center portion and a terminal portion and aplurality of grooves extending from said terminal portion into saidinner center portion on one side of said base, said pins extending fromsaid base on the same side as said grooves and located within said innercenter portion, a cover mounted on said base separating said terminalportion and said center portion to enclose said pins, said contactmembers and said electromagnet, terminals positioned in said groovesextending from said terminal portion into said center portion andelectrically attached to said pins.

3. An enclosed electromagnetic relay comprising a base and a tubularshaped cover mounted on said base and forming an enclosing chamber withsaid base, an electromagnet mounted on said cover and having an armatureextending toward said base and actuated to move generally parallel tosaid base, a plurality of supporting pins extending through said basefor providing conductive paths from said enclosed chamber, said pinsextending from said base into said chamber, elongated ribbonlikeresilient metal contact members extending generally parallel to saidbase and each pivotally secured at one end to a respective pin toresiliently move transversely to said pins and to the movement of saidarmature, said contact members in an engaging relation With said pinsand said armature separably engaging said contact members to move saidcontact members in opposite directions to alter the engaging relation onenergization and deenergization of said magnet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,185,371 Cook May 30, 1916 1,226,617 Parker May 15, 1917 2,292,134Leonard Aug. 4, 1942 2,556,716 Viol June 12, 1951 2,731,527 Marsh Jan.17, 1956 2,749,396 Horrnan et al June 5, 1956 2,790,876 Wagner Apr. 30,1957 2,866,046 Pandapas ec. 23, 1958 2,951,134 Lazich Aug. 30, 1960

1. AN ENCLOSED ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY COMPRISING A BASE HAVING AT LEASTTWO PAIRS OF CONDUCTIVE PINS EXTENDING FROM SAID BASE, TWO THINRESILIENT METAL CONTACT MEMBERS EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONEANOTHER IN SPACED RELATION AND SECURED AT ONE END TO A RESPECTIVE PIN OFONE PAIR AND EXTENDING TO FLEX IN AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH ARESPECTIVE PIN OF THE OTHER PAIR, AN ELECTROMAGNET HAVING AN ARMATUREHAVING A FREE END POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID CONTACT MEMBERS AND HAVING THEOTHER END PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE ELECTROMAGNET TO MOVE SAID FIRST ENDPARALLEL TO SAID CONTACT MEMBERS ON ACTUATION OF THE ARMATURE, SAIDCONTACT MEMBERS HAVING FACING SLOPED SURFACES AND SAID ARMATURE HAVING AWEDGE-SHAPED PIECE ON THE END OF THE ARMATURE BETWEEN SAID CONTACTMEMBERS AND ENGAGING SAID SURFACES TO ACTUATE SAID CONTACT MEMBERS INOPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO VARY THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAIDCONTACT MEMBERS AND THE RESPECTIVE CONDUCTIVE PINS.